Things to Do in Wheaton

A nonprofit castle-themed adventure land created by The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network, The Good Knight Enchanted Kingdom & Family Museum is an interactive fairy-tale realm designed to teach children about safety. Founded by a coalition of retired federal officers, The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network's mission is to empower kids and their parents through education, using the fairy-tale format to bring awareness to such hard-to-talk-about topics as child abduction. Through special events, shows, summer camps, and onsite adventures, costumed fairies and brave knights lead their young charges on themed challenges and quests to encourage them to fulfill socially responsible roles and build their self-esteem. The shows also teach children how to employ the ABCs of protection and how to recognize the 10 basic physiological deceptions that criminal predators often use to manipulate their victims, giving kids the skills to defend themselves and their peers.

Founded in 1951, Adventure Theatre MTC has been the longest-running children’s theater in the Washington area and has earned a mantel-overloading amount of awards throughout the decades. Alongside professional and student productions, the theatrical powerhouse hosts camps and workshops to expand the performance arts, instill the love of the stage in children, and help teens to act like they care about the SATs.

Though science has yet to yield the answer to whether or not time is infinite, Endless Food & Fun hedges its bets on the side of eternity, thrilling visitors with huge laser-tag skirmishes, 7,000 square feet of arcade games, and a bountiful buffet. New and old arcade games challenge players young and old. Dual laser-tag arenas pit dozens of competitors against one another as parents monitor the action via live streaming video. And a 200-item buffet boasts four themed dining rooms, including a sports-themed spot with multiple TVs, a ”Surf’s Up” room with pool tables, and a cartoon-themed room in which patrons gain the inexplicable ability to survive encounters with ACME anvils.

Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. escorts guests on an interactive journey through American history. Only here, the past isn't manifested through movies, but through wax. Inside, The President's Gallery brings visitors face-to-face with all 44 US presidents, from Harry Truman to Abe Lincoln and his signature spinning bowtie. Cultural leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr., stand tall nearby, and rock stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan compose silent jam sessions in the Vintage Music Room. Hollywood stars, sports heroes, and nonpresidential political figures round out the collection, which can be visited 365 days a year.

When it was founded in 1970, the theatre company Street ’70 didn’t have a home, instead serving as a nomadic outreach program for schools and community spaces. It would be seven years before they’d find their own space in the Round House Theatre, which would eventually become the company’s moniker. Since those early days, the ensemble has produced more than 200 performances per year out of their home theater in Bethesda and a black box theater in Silver Springs. Round House Theatre also spreads the drama bug through classes, workshops, and not washing their hands after handling freshly penned manuscripts.

This sort of deft dodging is required at the 5,000-square-foot arena in Owings Mills. Teams compete in one of ten missions during each game of Frontal Assault tactical laser tag, which are inspired by popular video games such as Call of Duty and Battlefield.

The snack bar at XP Laser Sport reenergizes players with Polar Shock slushies and personal pizzas. Meanwhile, windmills, loops, and carousels obstruct the path of LED mini-golf balls tumbling down the nine-hole indoor course. The facility's projection screens broadcast the latest angry faces of professional sports coaches, and two 25-foot screens let up to eight guests compete in Xbox 360 games such as Mortal Kombat.